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North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.41 billion in orders worldwide in July 2014 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.07, according to the July EMDS Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI.   A book-to-bill of 1.07 means that $107 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in July 2014 was $1.41 billion. The bookings figure is 2.8  percent lower than the final June 2014 level of $1.46 billion, and is 17.1 percent higher than the July 2013 order level of $1.21 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in July 2014 was $1.32 billion. The billings figure is 0.7 percent lower than the final June 2014 level of $1.33 billion, and is 9.4 percent higher than the July 2013 billings level of $1.20 billion.

“Order activity for semiconductor equipment has held at a steady level so far for 2014,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “This trend, along with improvements in semiconductor device sales and unit shipments, is consistent with our outlook for strong equipment sales growth this year.”

The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.

 

Billings
(3-mo. avg)

Bookings
(3-mo. avg)

Book-to-Bill
February 2014

1,288.3

1,295.4

1.01
March 2014

1,225.5

1,297.7

1.06
April 2014

1,403.2

1,443.0

1.03
May 2014

1,407.8

1,407.0

1.00
June 2014 (final)

1,327.5

1,455.0

1.10
July 2014 (prelim)

1,317.6

1,413.7

1.07

Source: SEMI, August 2014

Mentor Graphics Corporation today announced the call-for-entries of its 25th annual Technology Leadership Awards (TLA) competition, continuing its tradition of recognizing excellence in printed circuit board (PCB) design. Started in 1988, this program is the longest running competition of its kind in the electronic design automation (EDA) industry. It recognizes engineers and CAD designers who use the innovative technology provided by Mentor Graphics to address today’s complex PCB systems design challenges and produce products.

Prominent experts in the PCB industry will judge the contest, including: Happy Holden, Gentex Corporation (retired); Gary Ferrari, FTG Circuits technical support director; Pete Waddell, president of UP Media and publisher of Printed Circuit Design & Fab/Circuits Assembly Magazine; Andy Kowalewski, Metamelko LP senior interconnect designer; Rick Hartley, L-3 Communications/Avionics Division senior principal engineer; Susy Webb, Fairfield Nodal senior PCB designer; and Charles Pfeil, Mentor Graphics Systems Design Division director of engineering.

“Mentor continues to be in the forefront of recognizing and rewarding excellent designs. The TLA awards allow designers who are using innovative ideas and design practices to be rewarded for their outside-the-box thinking in a way that nothing else in the industry does,” stated Susy Webb, senior PCB designer, Fairfield Nodal. “These new practices will add to the general knowledge and creativity of the whole community of designers by leading them to try new and different concepts themselves.”

This year, entrants will be able to submit their design accomplishments in any of six categories representing a wide variety of industries:

  • Consumer electronics and handheld
  • Industrial control, instrumentation, security and medical
  • Military and aerospace
  • Computers, blade and servers, memory systems
  • Telecom, network controllers, line cards
  • Transportation and automotive

“Our annual PCB Technology Leadership Awards contest provides a worldwide opportunity for talented designers to showcase innovative designs.  Each year we see ever increasing challenges and the use of new technologies implemented,” said Dan Boncella, director of marketing, Mentor Graphics Systems Design Division. “The submissions for this contest are really quite impressive. We are expecting this year’s competition to be bigger than ever, with entries from many major electronics companies, as well as from smaller teams.”

Winners will be named for each category, plus a “Best Overall Design” recipient. The timeframe for submitting entries is from August 19th through September 26th, 2014. Entrants can apply online at www.mentor.com/go/tla.

The Mentor TLA contest is open to any designs created with the Mentor PCB solutions, including the Board Station, Xpedition and PADS design flows. Judging will be based on overcoming complexity challenges, such as small form factor, high-speed content, design team collaboration, advanced PCB fabrication technologies and design-cycle time reduction. Winners will be announced December 1st on a worldwide web broadcast.

The Silicon Integration Initiative (Si2), a global semiconductor standards consortium, announced today that Herb Reiter is joining the team of professionals in the role of Director, 3D IC Programs. Herb will leverage his breadth of knowledge and extensive network in 2.5D and 3D IC design and fabrication to enhance the business goals of Si2’s members in the Open3D Technical Advisory Board.

Herb’s background is particularly well suited for his new leadership role. After more than 20 years in technical and business roles at semiconductor and EDA companies, Herb founded eda2asic Consulting, Inc. to focus on increasing the cooperation between EDA suppliers and semiconductor vendors. In this role he introduced innovative IC design tools to the major semiconductor vendors worldwide. Herb was previously chair of the Global Semiconductor Alliance’s 3D-IC Working Group, and a 3D IC business development consultant to SEMATECH. As such, his expertise includes 3D-IC design, packaging technology, semiconductor materials as well as manufacturing and test equipment. Herb earned an MBA at San Jose State University, and Master Degrees in Business and Electrical Engineering at the University and the Technical College in Linz/Austria, respectively.

“The semiconductor industry is at a cross-road,” states Herb. “Moore’s Law process scaling is approaching practical limits. The effort and expenditure to push to the next smaller transistor size is becoming an impediment to continued progress, for all except the highest volume designs. 2.5D and 3D integrated circuits provide a fresh approach toward continued improvement of system performance, yet a key issue is ensuring sufficient interoperability and sharing of design data across various stages in the co-design process to guarantee efficient, lower cost designs. ‘Just-right’ standards, with forward-looking member companies leading the collaboration, play a critical role. That’s what is happening at Si2.”

John Ellis, Executive Vice President of Engineering, affirmed, “Herb understands the urgency in developing 3D IC standards that remove barriers in developing interoperable design tools. At Si2, we believe that the Internet of Things will be enabled by standards and organizations that take a holistic view of the semiconductor design ecosystem, as mechanical, thermal, and power considerations, for the entire package, all impact system performance. Members of our Open3D Technical Advisory Board have been visionary in their development of new standards to tackle these challenges. With Herb’s support, this team can make even faster progress toward developing the standards and business interactions needed to help enable the efficient, cohesive design environment needed for tomorrow’s products.”

Read more: The future looks amazing, but not if we stay the same

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced that worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $82.7 billion during the second quarter of 2014, an increase of 5.4 percent over the previous quarter and a jump of 10.8 percent compared to the second quarter of 2013. Global sales for the month of June 2014 reached $27.57 billion, marking the industry’s highest monthly sales ever. June’s sales were 10.8 percent higher than the June 2013 total of $24.88 billion and 2.6 percent more than last month’s total of $26.86 billion. Year-to-date sales during the first half of 2014 were 11.1 percent higher than they were at the same point in 2013, which was a record year for semiconductor revenues. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“Through the first half of 2014, the global semiconductor market has demonstrated consistent, across-the-board growth, with the Americas region continuing to show particular strength,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “The industry posted its highest-ever second quarter sales and outperformed the latest World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) sales forecast. Looking forward, macroeconomic indicators – including solid U.S. GDP growth announced last week – bode well for continued growth in the second half of 2014 and beyond.”

Regionally, sales were up compared to last month in the Americas (4.9 percent), Asia Pacific (2.1 percent), Japan (2.1 percent), and Europe (1.9 percent). Compared to June 2013, sales increased in the Americas (12.1 percent), Europe (12.1 percent), Asia Pacific (10.5 percent), and Japan (8.5 percent). All four regional markets have posted better year-to-date sales through the first half of 2014 than they did through the same point last year.

June 2014
Billions
Month-to-Month Sales
Market Last Month Current Month % Change
Americas 5.09 5.34 4.9%
Europe 3.13 3.19 1.9%
Japan 2.89 2.95 2.1%
Asia Pacific 15.76 16.09 2.1%
Total 26.86 27.57 2.6%
Year-to-Year Sales
Market Last Year Current Month % Change
Americas 4.76 5.34 12.1%
Europe 2.84 3.19 12.1%
Japan 2.72 2.95 8.5%
Asia Pacific 14.56 16.09 10.5%
Total 24.88 27.57 10.8%
Three-Month-Moving Average Sales
Market Jan/Feb/Mar Apr/May/June % Change
Americas 5.08 5.34 5.1%
Europe 3.08 3.19 3.5%
Japan 2.81 2.95 4.9%
Asia Pacific 15.18 16.09 6.0%
Total 26.15 27.57 5.4%

Micron Technology, Inc. today announced that Stephen Pawlowski has been named as vice president of Advanced Computing Solutions.

Pawlowski will be responsible for helping Micron’s Computer and Networking business unit further define and develop value-added memory solutions across enterprise and high-performance computing markets. Pawlowski joins Micron following a 31-year career at Intel Corporation where he most recently served as senior fellow.

“As Micron continues to invest in value-added, system-level solutions, it is increasingly important for us to understand the future architecture of systems and how memory can ultimately drive innovation and performance. We look forward to Steve’s contributions in supporting this initiative,” said Micron President Mark Adams.

During his career at Intel, Pawlowski also served as chief technology officer of the Data Center and Connected Systems Group and general manager of the Architecture and Pathfinding Group. He also helped develop the initial PC and server platforms at Intel, drove industry standards such as USB and PCI-Express and has extensive experience in processor, memory and caching architectures.

Pawlowski earned a master’s in Computer Science and Engineering from the Oregon Graduate Institute and bachelor’s in Computer Systems Engineering and Electrical Engineering from the Oregon Institute of Technology.

The SEMI Strategic Materials Conference, held September 30–October 1 in Santa Clara, Calif., will examine the drivers for new materials and how they impact material suppliers and the value chain they serve. The theme this year is “Materials Matter — Enabling the Future of IC Fabrication and Packaging,” delving into the market opportunities, scaling challenges, and emerging solutions to meet the sub-20nm technology node production challenges. SMC is the only conference dedicated to exploring the synergies, trends and business opportunities in advanced electronic materials. The agenda includes presentations by market analysts, leading device manufacturers, as well as equipment and material suppliers.

The increasing semiconductor content in mobile, computing, entertainment, and transportation are driving demands for higher performance and lower power consumption. The IC industry today is moving beyond scaling as the primary driver and looking to new materials and architectures.  Candidate materials span the spectrum from fabricating non-planar transistor structures to reducing interconnect RC delays.  3D interconnect and multi-chip bonding are facilitating form factors for use in phones, tablets and devices encompassing the internet of things.   In this “Age of Materials,” SMC will discuss market opportunities, scaling challenges, emerging solutions and more to meet the constantly growing demands.

Matt Nowak, senior director, Global Operations Group at Qualcomm, offers the conference’s keynote with insights on the emergence of the Digital Sixth Sense: Opportunities that will drive consumer demand over the coming decades, and the associated adoption of new IC devices and electronic materials. Tim G. Hendry, VP, Technology & Manufacturing Group at Intel, will kick off the session “Supply Chain Challenges, Interdependence for Future Growth” with his keynote, “Delivering Complexity to Beyond the Leading Edge.”

Other companies presenting include: Air Products & Chemicals, Air Liquide Electronics, Dow Chemical, Edwards Vacuum, Entegris, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Hilltop Economics, IBM, Intel, Linx Consulting, Lux Research, Matheson, Pall Corp, SAFC Hitech, Sandisk, Stanford University, Stifel Nicolaus, TechSearch International, TriQuint Semiconductor, and VLSI Research.

For the “advanced materials”-enabled microelectronics industry, the Strategic Materials Conference is a planning, forecasting, and business development necessity. Organized by the Chemical and Gas Manufacturers Group (CGMG), a SEMI Special Interest Group comprised of leading manufacturers, producers, packagers and distributors of chemicals and gases used in the microelectronics industry, SMC has provided valuable information and networking opportunities to materials and electronics industry professionals since 1995.

For the complete agenda, additional information and to register, visit the Strategic Materials Conference webpage atwww.semi.org/smc.  For information on SEMI, visit www.semi.org.

BY BYRON EXARCOS, President, CLASSONE TECHNOLOGY

Historically, the major semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers have focused on supporting the bigger semiconductor companies at the expense of the smaller ones. The last decade’s round of consolidations in the manufacturing and equipment sectors has only exacerbated this trend. This approach may make good business sense for the large equipment companies, but it’s created a serious challenge for smaller IC manufacturers. Even worse, it now threatens to stifle the continuing innovation on which the high tech industry depends.

It’s hard to fault the big equipment players for their business model. It’s much more cost-effective and profitable to dedicate the bulk of your resources to those customers who want to buy multiple process tools featuring “bleeding edge” technology on highly automated, volume production platforms. In many cases, it’s simply not as profitable to engage with smaller customers.

So what choice do the manufacturers have for populating their fabs if they’re running 200mm or smaller wafers? One alternative is to buy refurbished tools, assuming they can find a tool that meets their needs, which is not always easy. Another is to buy a bigger tool with more performance capabilities than they need, which busts their equipment budget. There aren’t many other options.

Now, one could dismiss this issue by simply saying, that’s the way this market works. Continued growth in our industry has always depended on a certain path of continual innovation. “Smaller, faster, cheaper” — producing smaller, more powerful chips in ever greater volume on larger wafers was a highly successful means of turning computers and subsequent mobile computing and communication devices into household items. It’s hard to fault a business/technology model that has been successful for so many years.

On the other hand, every emerging market eventually matures. We’ve all experi- enced the boom-and-bust cycles that roil our industry and what happens when the “last big thing” plateaus or dries up. Today, the capital equipment market is at a cusp. We need to examine whether the traditional smaller-design-rules/bigger-wafers/faster-throughput approach is helping or hindering the introduction of new technologies.

Today’s emerging technologies include devices such as smart sensors, power and RF wireless devices. The fact is, many of these chips can be made quite well and quite profitably using larger design rules on 200mm or even smaller substrates. However, many of the companies developing these devices are not huge enterprises, and they’re hampered by the unavailability of tools delivering the appropriate levels of process technology, automation and throughput — at a price they can afford. Ironically, our industry is in a phase where the equipment companies that once drove significant innovations, such as the introduction of copper deposition and low-k dielectrics, have become so large and narrowly focused that they’re impeding the development of many other emerging technologies.

I have some understanding of the needs of smaller device manufacturers because one of our companies, ClassOne Equipment, has been selling refurbished equipment to them for over a decade. That is why we’ve now created a whole new company, ClassOne Technology, to provide new equipment at substantially lower prices specifically for 200mm and smaller substrates. We are introducing new electroplating systems, spin rinse dryers and spray solvent tools; and some of them are literally half the cost of high-end competitive units. We’re particularly interested in serving all those small- to mid-sized companies who are making MEMS, power devices, RF, LEDs, photonics, sensors, microfluidics and other emerging-technology devices.

However, no single company can solve the entire problem. There is a glaring need for equipment manufacturers to bring the price/performance ratio of their tools back in line with the needs of more of the equipment users, not just those at the bleeding edge. If the tool manufacturers persist in trying to only sell the equivalent of sports cars to customers who just need pickup trucks, America’s high tech industry may soon find itself trailing, rather than leading the innovation curve.

Harnessing big data


July 28, 2014

Addressing the analytics challenges in supply chain management. 

BY NORD SAMUELSON, CHRISTOPHER POCEK and CHRIS LANMAN, AlixPartners, San Francisco, CA 

A changing workforce and lack of convergence between information technology (IT) and business may be preventing many companies from joining the big-data revolution. Defined as very large sets of data but more commonly used in reference to the rapid increase in amounts of data in recent years, big data will divide companies into two groups in the next decade: those able to benefit from big data’s potential and those unable. Companies that create capabilities for capturing, processing, analyzing, and distributing data in order to make better decisions in real time will likely be able to outperform their competition and respond more quickly to their customers’ needs. The data avalanche is coming from a number of sources, such as enterprise resource planning, orders, shipments, Weblogs, GPS data, radio-frequency identification, mobile devices, and social channels; and there is value to be created in all areas of a business by adopting a data-driven culture.

However, in discussions about big data’s arrival, we sometimes forget to ask how effectively we’re converting the data into value. Too often, huge investments in IT infrastructure coupled with sophisticated analytical and reporting software have delivered little value. Why? We often find it’s because companies are understaffed, or they may lack the analytics talent who know how to build links between the data and the value drivers. There is also a gap between finding insights from data and then applying the insights to create value. That is where the levels of training and experience of a company’s analysts enter the equation.

One area of particular concern is supply chain management (SCM). A company’s SCM organization makes decisions about build plans, stocking locations, inventory levels, and so forth based on the conversion of raw data about demand, sales, and inventory on hand. And when there’s a shortage of analytics talent, SCM is typically one of the first areas affected. Traditionally, analytical innovation happens in two ways: either through an internal-pipeline process of developing junior analysts into senior analysts or by periodically bringing in external experts to seed knowledge. But big data is challenging both approaches.

The internal pipeline is challenged by a workforce marked by shorter tenures. Shorter tenures result
in more generalists in the workforce, often in place of the specialists needed for analytical innovation. For example, younger workers, such as millennials, are significantly less likely to settle into a long career at a company. According to a survey by Future Workplace, 91% of millennials (born in the 1980s and ’90s) expect to stay in a job for less than three years (Meister 2012), meaning that those in analytical roles are usually in the job only long enough to execute established analytics—and not long enough to develop a holistic understanding of how data can be applied to drive business value. As a result, those on the business side and those on the IT side don’t always learn to make the end-to-end connections between raw data and measurable value. The internal-pipeline approach is further challenged by companies themselves: frustrated by high turnover, companies are less likely to invest in developing their people— only to watch the people leave for higher-paying positions.

The second approach—that of periodically bringing in external experts to rebuild a process or implement the latest software package—is also starting to show wear. The evolution cycle of new analytical techniques is rapidly slowing down as big data brings opportunities to better integrate internal and external data sources. Traditionally, companies have been able to implement software solutions or bring in experts to install the latest offering and then profit from that investment for five or seven years. The initial cost was justified by the continued value for years to come. But now, the volume, variety, and velocity of the new data being generated are changing the business landscape by calling for a more rapid cycle of analytical-tool introduction. And that landscape itself usually changes every two or three years. So, as a result, the days of big-bang projects appear to be coming to an end.

What can be done? Companies should look across the entire supply chain—or across any function,
for that matter—and measure the amount of data being generated. Then they should weigh that measurement against the value actually realized. If data volumes are growing more rapidly than the corresponding increase in value, there may be an analytics talent challenge.

Three methods of creating value have proved effective in today’s rapidly changing market.

1. Outsourcing portions of analytic requirements

Companies can approach analytics outsourcing in a variety of ways, ranging from a data prep model—in which a company hires a third party to process raw data to the point where an analyst can consume it— all the way to a fully outsourced model, in which a third party processes and analyzes the data, poten- tially adds other proprietary data, and sends back fully actionable information. The data prep model enables a company to focus a limited pool of analysts on the critical knowledge-capture portion of the process and thereby free up time spent on non-value- added processes. The fully outsourced model enables companies to stay up-to-date on the latest technol- ogies and software without having to make up-front investments to purchase the latest software and technology.

2. Creating central analytics teams

Companies that rely heavily on converting data to knowledge can set up an analytic group focused solely on solving analytical issues across the company. Such companies have adopted analytics
as a core differentiator and encourage analysts to develop the holistic view that facilitates insight. Central analytics groups seem to perform better than embedded groups—and especially when they report through the business side. Of course, maintaining a group dedicated to analytics is an investment that some companies may hesitate to make, but there is tremendous value in having such in-house expertise.

3. Partnering with academic or not-for-profit institutions

Academic and nonprofit organizations are often-overlooked resources. For instance, the brand-new Center for Supply Chain Management at the University of Pittsburgh intends to provide student and faculty interactions with industry representatives who will promote experience-based learning activities within the university’s supply chain management courses. To improve the center’s effectiveness, the university plans to create a Supply Chain Management Industry Council composed of member companies dedicated to SCM. The council members, along with tenured faculty specializing in teaching SCM, will foster interest and excellence in SCM and analysis. Other institutions offer training, certifications, and conferences that encourage and enable analysts to further develop and share ideas. The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences recently introduced the Certified Analytics Profes- sional certification to give companies an option for developing their people without having to make hefty investments in training organizations.

Big data is fundamentally transforming the way business operates. It is enabling management to track the previously untrackable, forecast the previ- ously unpredictable, and understand interactions between suppliers and customers—all of it with unprecedented clarity. And winning organizations will invest in the necessary infrastructure and people to harness the transformative power of data.

SEMI today announced the launch of the association’s first-ever event in Latin America. The inaugural SEMI South America Semiconductor Strategy Summit will be held November 18-20, 2014, at the Hilton Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Argentina-based Unitec Blue and the Brazil Development Bank BNDES are supporting the event.

The growing strength of Latin American markets is driving interest and investment in electronics manufacturing in South America. Device manufacturers, including Unitec Blue in Argentina, and SIX Semicondutores and CEITEC in Brazil, are established and planning new investments in front- and back-end manufacturing capabilities. With the continued globalization of the microelectronics industry, and localization of manufacturing capabilities within growing electronic markets, the South American market presents new opportunities for supply chain companies.

“We are pleased to announce this new project and excited by the opportunities in Latin America for our members,” said Bettina Weiss, vice president of business development for SEMI. “We are especially grateful to Unitec Blue and BNDES for their support of this inaugural event, as it shows the clear intent of the device maker community in South America to attract new investment and drive industry expansion in the region.”

The three-day event includes a delegation tour of the Unitec Blue facilities in Buenos Aires, and a full two-day conference featuring presentations and panel discussions from industry leaders, analysts, and government representatives. The conference will provide overviews of the current industry environment in South America, address the challenges and opportunities for supply chain companies in the region, and explore the next steps in building the region’s microelectronics industry infrastructure.

The SEMI South America Semiconductor Strategy Summit follows the successful launch of a similar event in Vietnam last year, which was the first SEMI venture in that emerging market. “By taking small, but significant steps in new and emerging markets, SEMI is strategically working to open doors for our members to help them explore new opportunities when markets emerge,” said Weiss. “Events like the SEMI South America Semiconductor Strategy Summit bring together global and regional industry leaders and helps foster the connections and relationships that hopefully lead to business and market growth.”

Registration for the SEMI South America Semiconductor Strategy Summit costs US$ 350. Registration, agenda, and sponsorship information is available online at www.semi.org/southamerica.

By Jeff Dorsch

The worldwide semiconductor capital equipment market is forecast to increase 20.8 percent this year to $38.44 billion, compared with 2013’s $31.82 billion, and another 10.8 percent in 2015 to $42.6 billion, according to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International.

Also on Monday, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported that global sales of semiconductors were $26.86 billion in May, an 8.8 percent increase from a year earlier and a 2 percent improvement from April of this year.

Jonathan Davis, SEMI’s global vice president of advocacy, said Monday that the semiconductor industry is seen growing 5 percent to 10 percent in 2014, and noted that all world regions posted growth in sales during May, a statistical factor not recorded since August 2010.

Discussing expenditures on capital equipment, Davis said, “The nature of the spending is changing.” The number of new wafer fabs has dwindled in recent years, and more spending is directed these days to upgrading existing fabs.

2015 promises to be the biggest year for semiconductor equipment spending since 2000, Davis said. While the equipment market is growing more than 20 percent this year, the semiconductor materials market will see more modest growth in 2014, at 6 percent, he added.

Karen Savala, the president of SEMI Americas, reviewed economic and technology trends in the equipment and materials business during Monday’s SEMI press conference. The industry has gone through “one of the largest consolidation periods in our history,” including the pending blockbuster merger between Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL), she noted.

The longstanding economics of Moore’s Law is being challenged, she added. The Internet of Things is a tremendous opportunity for the chip-making business, yet it doesn’t involve leading-edge technology, Savala said. “Traditional node scaling seems to be slowing,” she observed. Scaling is apparently decelerating below the 32-nanometer process node, according to Savala, but it may be advanced with the introduction of new materials, new substrates, and 2.5D/3D packaging.

“The ecosystem is changing,” Savala said.

SEMI now forecasts that wafer processing equipment will grow 22.7 percent in 2014 to $31.12 billion, from $25.36 billion in 2013, and advance 11.9 percent more in 2015 to $34.81 billion. Test equipment is expected to see a 12.5 percent increase this year to $3.06 billion and pick up by 1.6 percent next year to $3.11 billion. Assembly and packaging equipment is forecast to reach $2.52 billion in 2014, an 8.6 percent improvement from last year, and growing 1.2% in 2015 to $2.55 billion. Other equipment categories will be up 22.5 percent this year to $1.74 billion and up 21.8 percent next year to $2.12 billion.

All global regions except one, the rest of the world, are forecast to post increased sales in 2014, according to SEMI. Taiwan will remain the largest region with $11.57 billion in equipment sales this year, up 11.57 percent from 2013, while higher growth rates will be seen in China, North America, South Korea, Japan, and Europe. All regions are expected to show growth in 2015, ranging from 1.6 percent in China up to 47.8 percent in Europe.

SEMI 2014 mid-year equipment forecast.

SEMI 2014 mid-year equipment forecast.